Dyeing apparatus for continuously moving web

ABSTRACT

A spill plate arranged to convey dye liquors upon the surface of a continuously and longitudinally moving web fabric, means feeding dye liquor continuously upon the spill plate, a slotted meter roll engaging the spill plate and driven at a uniform speed to feed uniform streams of dye liquor over the spill plate, guide cups disposed at opposite sides of the spill plate and transversely movable to confine the stream of liquor falling upon the web to a width substantially coinciding with the width of the fabric.

United States Patent Gowin I 1 May 9, 1972 [54] DYEING APPARATUS FOR 3,404,660 l0/l968 Sievers ..|1s/so1 x CONTINUOUSLY M V WEB 951.425 3/l9l0 Minahan ..es/2o2 {72] Inventor: Grover Z. Gowin, Tunnel Hill, Ga.

[73] Assignee: Gowin-Card, lnc., Dalton, Ga.

[22] Filed: May 12, 1970 [2|] Appl. No.: 36,566

[52] U.S. Cl. ..68/205 ll, 68/5 D. l l8/30l, 1 18/325 [5 l] Int. Cl. .3050: 5/00, BOSc 9/06 [58] Field of Search ..68/200, 205 R, 202; I 18/325, l l8/30l [56) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,541,815 I 1/ I970 Appenzeller et al ..68/200 X Primary Examiner-William i. Price Attorney-Harrington A. Lackey 57 ABSTRACT A spill plate arranged to convey dye liquors upon the surface of a continuously and longitudinally moving web fabric, means feeding dye liquor continuously upon the spill plate, a slotted meter roll engaging the spill plate and driven at a uniform speed to feed uniform streams of dye liquor over the spill plate, guide cups disposed at opposite sides of the spill plate and transversely movable to confine the stream of liquor falling upon the web to a width substantially coinciding with the width of the fabric.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEBMAY sum 3.660.994

sum 1 OF 2 INVENTOR: GCQm/E/Q Z. Gan/0v ATTORNEY 5 FATENTEUMY 91912 1.660994 mm 2 OF 2 INVENTOR Gem/2 Z. Gow/N z; ATTORNEY DYEING APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY MOVING WEB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a dyeing apparatus for a continuously moving web of fabric, and more particularly to an apparatus for continuously supplying a stream of dye liquor to a moving web of fabric at a uniform rate.

The conventional method of dyeing a textile fabric, such as tufted carpet, in a solid color, is by immersion in a dye bath or vat. In the solid-color dyeing of tufied carpets, the free ends of the carpet are sewn to form a carpet loop around a driven roller with the carpet loop suspended in the dye vat. As the roller is driven, the loop of carpet is circulated in the dye vat for a predetermined period of time. This process is repeated for each individual carpet or piece.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for continuously applying dye liquor at a uniform rate to a continuously moving web of fabric, and specifically textile or tufted fabrics. In this manner, the application of the dye liquor is merely another step in the continuous process of finishing the fabric. Furthermore, the dyeing is accomplished without waiting until the web is cut into separate individual lengths, thereby effecting a considerable economy in time and expense.

The apparatus includes a horizontal spillway or spill plate disposed transversely across the moving web of fabric. The dye liquor is continuously supplied through a liquor circulating system, including a supply reservoir and a metering reservoir. A slotted meter roll is rotatably mounted tangent to the spill plate between the metering reservoir and the edge of the spill plate, and is driven at a uniform rate to feed precise amounts of dye liquor in a stream over the edge of the spill plate and upon the web material.

The apparatus further includes overflow cups spaced at opposite side portions of and below the edge of the spill plate and mounted for transverse movement to intercept, and return to the drain or liquor circulating system, liquor from the side portions of the stream. The cups are adapted to be laterally moved to maintain a vertical alignment with the longitudinal edges of the web in order to confine the metered dye liquor stream to the width of the web. The overflow cups may be continuously transversely aligned with the edges of the web by an edge sensing mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the right-hand portion of the apparatus made in accordance with this inventron;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary reduced section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in more detail, a continuous web of fabric is trained over a pull roll 12 which is rotated in the direction of the arrow by shaft 13 driven by any convenient motor or drive means, not shown. In this manner, the fabric web 10 is continuously moved over and by the pull roll 12 through a plurality of pre-steaming jets l5 and then across a guide plate I6 for subsequent treatment and finishing of the fabric web 10.

Mounted above the pull roll 12 is a dyeing apparatus 20. The dyeing apparatus comprises a stationary spill plate 21 having a horizontal flat portion 22 and a forward and downward sloping portion 23 terminating in a front horizontal spill edge 24, disposed directly above the pull roll 12.

Supported on the rear end of the spill plate 21 is a supply reservoir 25 containing dye liquor 26. The dye liquor 26 is continuously fed into the supply reservoir 25 through an inlet conduit 27 from a dye liquor circulating system, not completely shown, and including a circulating pump, not shown. The front wall 28 of the supply reservoir 25 has a top edge 29 lower than the top edges of the other walls of the reservoir 25 to provide an overflow outlet for the dye liquor. From the overflow outlet 29, the dye liquor flows over discharge plate 30 sloping downward into a metering reservoir 32. The metering reservoir 32 includes a front wall or weir 33 having a horizontal transverse top edge or surface, and a rear wall or weir 34 also having a horizontal transverse top edge or surface, but slightly higher than the top surface of the front weir 33.

Mounted to extend through the flat portion 22 of the spill plate 21 between the front wall 28 of the supply reservoir 25 and the rear weir 34 is a drain conduit 35, adapted to return surplus dye liquor to the pump, not shown, in the circulating system.

Mounted for rotation in front of the metering reservoir 32 is a meter roll 37. The meter roll 37 is rotatably driven by shaft 38 journaled in the side walls or ploughs 39 at opposite ends of the meter roll 37. The shaft 38 is driven in the direction of the arrow, by any conventional means, such as electric motor 40 through any convenient reduction drive or transmission 41 (FIG. 1). The speed, or angular velocity, of the meter roll 37 may be varied by varying the speed of the motor 40 through the speed control mechanism 42 of any conventional construction.

The meter roll shaft 38 is so positioned that the surface of the roll 37 is tangent to the top surface of the spill plate 21, and specifically the horizontal portion 22, as best disclosed in FIG. 2. The outer surface of the meter roll 37 is preferably made of hard rubber, including a plurality of circumferentially spaced, elongated, straight slots or grooves 44 of uniform size extending parallel to the axis of the roll 37.

The walls 45, forming the side walls of reservoir 25, also form with the ploughs 39 the side walls of metering reservoir 32, and define the flow path of dye liquor along the entire length of the horizontal spill plate portion 22.

Mounted below the spill edge 24 at each side portion thereof, is an elongated overflow cup or trough 47, only one of which is disclosed in the drawings. Each cup 47 is provided with a drain outlet conduit 48 which is connected to the sump and circulating pump, not shown. As best disclosed in FIG. 3 a portion of the cup 47 extends forwardly of the front edge 24 so that the outboard portion of the stream of dye liquor flowing down the sloping spill plate portion 23 directly above the cup 47, will be intercepted by the cup 47 before it can descend upon the pull roll 12. By locating the inner edge 49 of the overflow cup 47 in vertical alignment with the corresponding longitudinal edge 50 of the fabric web 10, the stream of dye liquor flowing down the sloping spill plate portion 23 will be confined to a width corresponding to the width of the web 10. Thus only the web will be continuously dyed, without any excess dye liquor being wasted or spilled upon the exposed portions of the pull roll 12.

Each cup 47 is connected through an upwardly extending arm 52 to a carriage 53 having rollers 54 and 55 engaging a transverse stationary rail beam 56 Mounted at one end of the rail beam 56 is a reversible electric motor 58 adapted to drive a screw shaft 59 threadedly engaging the carriage 53 for reciprocable and reversible movement along the rail beam 56. Electrically connected through leads 60 to the reversible motor 58 is a sensing mechanism 61 having a feeler or sensing arm or finger 62 adapted to be engaged by the web edge 50, as best disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Thus, as the web 10 is moved longitudinally over and by the pull roll 12, any outboard movement of the web edge 50 will engage the sensing arm 62 to actuate the sensing mechanism 61 and convey an electric signal to energize the reversible motor 58. The motor 58 turns the screw shaft 59 in a direction to move the carriage 53 and the cup 47 in an outboard direction to maintain the inner wall 49 of the cup 47 in vertical alignment with the web edge 50, regardlem of its lateral position. Although not disclosed in the drawings, the web edge 50 on the other side of the web engages a similar sensing arm 62 to actuate mechanism on the other side of the web. Thus the two web sensing mechanism maintain the width of the dye stream flowing over the spill edge 24 the same as the width of the web 10.

In the operation of the apparatus 20, the web 10 is continuously being moved longitudinally by the pull roll 12 in the direction of the arrows disclosed in FIG. 2. The dye liquor 26 is circulated by the pump, not shown, through the inlet 27 to maintain a substantially uniform head in the supply reservoir 25. A substantially uniform stream of liquor discharges over the overflow outlet 29 and down the discharge plate 30 into the metering reservoir 32. The metering reservoir 32 discharges a uniform amount of liquor over the front weir 33 by virtue of the difference in height between the front weir 33 and the rear weir 34. Thus, any surplus dye liquor in excess of the desired uniform amount is discharged over the top of the rear weir 34 and returned to the circulating system through the drain conduit 35.

Further refinement of the precise amount of dye liquor moved over the spill plate 21 is provided by the uniform angular velocity of the meter roll 37 and the uniform size of the meter slots 44. The bottom surface of the meter roll 37 engages the surface of the horizontal flat spill plate portion 22 to meter uniform amounts of dye liquor forward upon the sloping spill plate portion 23. Thus, the amount of dye liquor discharged upon the web 10 from the horizontal spill edge 24 is made uniform with a high degree of precision by virtue of the controlled amount of dye liquor discharged from the supply reservoir 25, subsequently by the metering reservoir 32, and finally by the meter roll 37. The controlled dye stream is simultaneously confined to the width of the fabric web 10 by the sensing mechanism 61 and overflow cups 47, as previously described.

What is claimed is:

I. An apparatus for dyeing a fabric including:

a. a spill plate having a front horizontal spill edge,

b. means moving a web of fabric longitudinally beneath said spill edge. so that said spill edge extends widthwise of said web.

c. a meter roll having elongated slots of uniform size circumferentially and uniformly spaced in the surface of said meter roll,

d. means mounting said meter roll for rotational movement above said spill plate, so that the surface of said meter roll is tangent to said spill plate to feed uniform amounts of dye liquor between said meter roll and said spill plate toward said spill edge.

2 The invention according to claim I further comprising a metering reservoir behind said meter roll, said metering reservoir comprising a front weir having a horizontal transverse top edge and a rear weir having a horizontal transverse top edge spaced above the top edge of said front weir at a predetermined height, and means continuously supplying dye liquor into said metering reservoid so that a uniform stream of dye liquor will flow over said front weir upon said spill plate and toward said meter roll, and any liquor in excess of said uniform stream flows over said rear weir.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said dye liquor supplying means comprises a supply reservoir behind said metering reservoir, a fluid outlet for said reservoir spaced above said said rear weir, and a channel communicating with said fluid outlet to convey dye liquor from said supply reservoir to said metering reservoir.

4. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising means driving said meter roll at a uniform speed, and means for changing said speed to vary the flow rate of said dye liquor.

5. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising cup means, means mounting said cup means for transverse movement below said spill edge and in the path of the edge portions of the stream of dye liguor flowing over said edge, electrical motlve means operatlvely connected to said cup means, an electrical sensing element for sensing the longitudinal edge of the web, and means electrically connecting said sensing element to said motive means to actuate said motive means to maintain said cup means in vertical alignment with a corresponding web edge.

I i t i i 

1. An apparatus for dyeing a fabric including: a. a spill plate having a front horizontal spill edge, b. means moving a web of fabric longitudinally beneath said spill edge, so that said spill edge extends widthwise of said web, c. a meter roll having elongated slots of uniform size circumferentially and uniformly spaced in the surface of said meter roll, d. means mounting said meter roll for rotational movement above said spill plate, so that the surface of said meter roll is tangent to said spill plate to feed uniform amounts of dye liquor between said meter roll and said spill plate toward said spill edge. CM,2 invention according to claim 1 further comprising a metering reservoir behind said meter roll, said metering reservoir comprising a front weir having a horizontal transverse top edge and a rear weir having a horizontal transverse top edge spaced above the top edge of said front weir at a predetermined height, and means continuously supplying dye liquor into said metering reservoid so that a uniform stream of dye liqUor will flow over said front weir upon said spill plate and toward said meter roll, and any liquor in excess of said uniform stream flows over said rear weir.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said dye liquor supplying means comprises a supply reservoir behind said metering reservoir, a fluid outlet for said reservoir spaced above said said rear weir, and a channel communicating with said fluid outlet to convey dye liquor from said supply reservoir to said metering reservoir.
 4. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising means driving said meter roll at a uniform speed, and means for changing said speed to vary the flow rate of said dye liquor.
 5. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising cup means, means mounting said cup means for transverse movement below said spill edge and in the path of the edge portions of the stream of dye liquor flowing over said edge, electrical motive means operatively connected to said cup means, an electrical sensing element for sensing the longitudinal edge of the web, and means electrically connecting said sensing element to said motive means to actuate said motive means to maintain said cup means in vertical alignment with a corresponding web edge. 